The Steeple Times

Tag: London

  • Reader Offer – An evening for good causes

    Reader Offer – An evening for good causes

    50% off tickets to a charity event at Cadogan Hall for readers of The Steeple Times

     

    Further to our previous feature Alan and Gina Miller’s True and Fair Foundation charity variety concert at Cadogan Hall, off Sloane Square in Chelsea, London on 3rd October, we can now offer readers of The Steeple Times 50% off the price of tickets.

     

    Featuring amongst others the infamous Olympian Eddie the Eagle, magician Richard Essien (AKA ‘Magical Bones’), musical enigma and autistic savant Derek Paravicini, beatboxer Harry Yeff (AKA ‘Reeps One’) and Christmas number one singers the NHS Choir, this is billed as “an inspirational evening of music, magic and mayhem”.

     

    100% of the discounted £25 per person and £15 per student (after booking fee) ticket price (standard tickets are £50 per person and £30 per student) will benefit the Amber Trust, JBVC Foundation, PIP – Pursuing Independent Paths and Regenerate.

     

    To book, click here or telephone +44 (0) 20 7730 4500. Be sure to use the code ACTING2016 when booking to get The Steeple Times discount.

     

     

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  • Reader Offer – Music, Magic and Mayhem

    Reader Offer – Music, Magic and Mayhem

    An invitation to a most worthy charity evening at Cadogan Hall in London

     

    On 3rd October, Alan and Gina Miller’s True and Fair Foundation will host a charity variety concert at Cadogan Hall, off Sloane Square in Chelsea, London.

     

    Featuring amongst others the infamous Olympian Eddie the Eagle, magician Richard Essien (AKA ‘Magical Bones’), musical enigma and autistic savant Derek Paravicini, beatboxer Harry Yeff (AKA ‘Reeps One’) and Christmas number one singers the NHS Choir, this is billed as “an inspirational evening of music, magic and mayhem”.

     

    100% of the £50 per person (after booking fee) ticket price will benefit the Amber Trust, JBVC Foundation, PIP – Pursuing Independent Paths and Regenerate. A limited number of VIP tickets, including refreshments and artist ‘meet and greet’ are £100 whilst student tickets are available for just £30.

     

    To book, click here or telephone +44 (0) 20 7730 4500.

     

     

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  • Shoot and Stay

    Shoot and Stay

    Kelly Double suggests where to learn to shoot and where to stay within easy reach of London

     

    There’s seldom a diversion from city life as effective as a session of clay shooting. In the wake of Team GB’s Olympic successes and as the shooting season is getting underway, there’s never been a better time to put your finger to the trigger and immerse yourself in this heritage, country sport.

     

    The wide rural skies and focus on hitting targets can easily chase away the stresses of urban living with exhilaration. With both grouse and partridge already in season, and pheasants joining at the beginning of October, I have pulled together my top four destinations for learning how to shoot, and which countryside establishment nearby you can rely on to provide you with delicious sustenance afterwards. My options have varied menus and low-key luxury bedrooms and are thus perfect spots to recharge after a long day in the fresh air.

     

    Shoot at The Oxford Gun Company

    Shoot and Stay – Kelly Double of Zambuni chooses options to shoot and stay close to London – The Oxford Gun Company and The Pheasant – Lady’s Wood and King’s Arms – The Royal Berkshire Shooting School and The Yew Tree – Bisley and The Inn at West EndLocated just an hour outside London and set in some 400 acres of stunning quintessential British countryside, The Oxford Gun Company is an award winning family-run shooting ground with over 40 years’ experience in the business. Surrounded by rolling countryside, and a course set across babbling brooks, there is no better place to become immersed in this heritage sport.

     

    The instructors at The Oxford Gun Company teach the Stanbury Method and have the experience that it takes to truly give you the best introduction to the sport, guiding you from the very beginning – Amber Hill trained here and completed its TSC Academy, so they know what they’re doing. Whether you aspire to the Olympic rings, or just want to enjoy some time in the countryside, the team can help you hit the targets to get there.

     

    Then dine and stay at The Pheasant

    Shoot and Stay – Kelly Double of Zambuni chooses options to shoot and stay close to London – The Oxford Gun Company and The Pheasant – Lady’s Wood and King’s Arms – The Royal Berkshire Shooting School and The Yew Tree – Bisley and The Inn at West EndCelebrate a successful day’s shooting at The Pheasant, Brill. Just down the road from The Oxford Gun Company, the pub is perched on a hill and enjoys views over the historic Brill Windmill and neighbouring counties. The Pheasant, to my mind, offers the true country pub package.

     

    You can sample a wide range of traditional dishes, made on site with locally sourced, seasonal produce and then head to bed in one of the cosy rooms. Service is friendly and the atmosphere excellent.

     

    Shoot at Lady’s Wood

    Shoot and Stay – Kelly Double of Zambuni chooses options to shoot and stay close to London – The Oxford Gun Company and The Pheasant – Lady’s Wood and King’s Arms – The Royal Berkshire Shooting School and The Yew Tree – Bisley and The Inn at West EndSet amidst the beautiful Gloucestershire countryside, with easy access from both the M4 and M5, Lady’s Wood is not far from Bristol and Bath. The grounds are set in 65 acres of natural woodland with a quintessentially welcoming Cotswold stone lodge.

     

    The course has a large variety of sporting traps which can simulate anything, from a bolting rabbit to a long distance pheasant thrown from the 120 ft High Tower – a special feature of the school and one of the highest in the country. Lady’s Wood instructors are always delighted to introduce new shooters to the sport, delivering a full and thorough understanding in all aspects of gun safety and shooting etiquette. The team are skilled in the tuition of juniors and ladies and will make you feel relaxed and safe whilst building confidence in your new skills.

     

    Then dine and stay at The King’s Arms

    Shoot and Stay – Kelly Double of Zambuni chooses options to shoot and stay close to London – The Oxford Gun Company and The Pheasant – Lady’s Wood and King’s Arms – The Royal Berkshire Shooting School and The Yew Tree – Bisley and The Inn at West EndA traditional British pub and hotel set within the small village of Didmarton in the beautiful Cotswolds, The King’s Arms is an absolute treat. Serving local ales and beers alongside an evolving menu of seasonal British cuisine it’s a sure fire way to enjoy countryside comfort. The restaurant only uses the freshest locally sourced produce and all game on offer comes direct from the neighbouring country estates.

     

    With a choice of self-catering cottages in the stables of the original 17th century King’s Arms, or cottage-style bed and breakfast rooms the luxurious touches will allow you to feel like the Cotswolds is truly your home. Dogs are welcome too – so there’s no need to be afraid of bringing the pooch along for an adventure.

     

    Shoot at The Royal Berkshire Shooting School

    Shoot and Stay – Kelly Double of Zambuni chooses options to shoot and stay close to London – The Oxford Gun Company and The Pheasant – Lady’s Wood and King’s Arms – The Royal Berkshire Shooting School and The Yew Tree – Bisley and The Inn at West EndEstablished over two decades ago, The Royal Berkshire Shooting School is recognised as one of the finest facilities of its kind. The school employs seven full-time, professional shooting instructors, and has one of the most expansive shooting grounds in the country.

     

    Its frontline team of shooting professionals has amassed over 100,000 hours as instructors and more than 125 years of experience in the shooting and fishing business. You will know you’re in safe hands. If you want a challenge in a forward-thinking environment, this is the place for you.

     

    Then dine and stay at The Yew Tree

    the-yew-treeThe Yew Tree Inn is a delightful 17th century country pub with rooms and excellent dining situated in the lovely English countryside, moments from Highclere Castle. The food here is an absolute treat, and as a result, The Yew Tree has quite rightly built up a reputation for its high standard of food and service.

     

    With two AA Rosettes, The Yew Tree’s superb kitchen team is headed up by Emma Broom whose has over 20 years of experience cooking great British cuisine. Menus are inspired by the surrounding English countryside, so expect to dine on fresh fish and game plucked straight from forests and rivers nearby. Every one of the rooms has been designed with comfort and relaxation in mind and you’ll not be disappointed. Dogs are more than welcome in some of the rooms and The Yew Tree can even provide facilities such as dog beds and water bowls on request.

     

    Shoot at Bisley

    Shoot and Stay – Kelly Double of Zambuni chooses options to shoot and stay close to London – The Oxford Gun Company and The Pheasant – Lady’s Wood and King’s Arms – The Royal Berkshire Shooting School and The Yew Tree – Bisley and The Inn at West EndEasily accessible from London and set in the Surrey countryside, the short journey to the countryside will evoke a sudden release of tension that only the outdoors can prompt. A leader in the world of clay shooting, Bisley was founded in 1895 and its grounds are continually being developed to ensure an unbeatable service and variety of targets. It’s ideal for both beginners looking for an introduction to the sport and more seasoned shots. Each instructor is carefully selected and the great majority have shot for Great Britain.

     

    Beginners looking for step-by-step advice can request one-to-one lessons to start off on the right foot whilst seasoned professionals can polish their skills with top tips from the very best in the business.

     

    Then dine and stay at The Inn at West End

    Shoot and Stay – Kelly Double of Zambuni chooses options to shoot and stay close to London – The Oxford Gun Company and The Pheasant – Lady’s Wood and King’s Arms – The Royal Berkshire Shooting School and The Yew Tree – Bisley and The Inn at West EndJust 20 minutes from Bisley and recently refurbished to the highest standard, The Inn at West End is the perfect escape from the city. Fresh, seasonal produce is the cornerstone of each and every plate and longstanding, excellent relationships with its suppliers mean that the menu changes and evolves according to the best ingredients dependent on the time of year. Nuanced, innovative dishes sit happily alongside more traditional, British pub classics. Disappointment is not an option.

     

    Each room is individually decorated in a contemporary country style and equipped with all you need for a relaxing stay in rural idyll. With beds that look (and feel) like clouds, flat-screen TVs, broadband access, en-suite wet rooms, safes sized to accommodate shotguns and many other thoughtful details this is an inn that will impress. Two rooms even cater for dogs, and one for guests who require additional accessibility facilities.

     

     

    Kelly Double is an account executive at Zambuni, a marketing agency specialising in the country lifestyle sector. Follow her on Twitter at @KellyDouble1.

     

     

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  • A Royal Range Rover

    A Royal Range Rover

    Range Rover that transported Prince George on his first journey sells in a charity auction

     

    Used by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as their personal vehicle, a Range Rover Vogue SE that collected the newborn Prince George from St Mary’s hospital sold yesterday in a charity auction for £80,000 – £20,000 less than the £100,000 sum it was expected to reach.

     

    Aside from its standard features, the 4.4-litre diesel car was equipped with an electronic folding towbar, a panoramic sunroof and five parking cameras.

     

    Proceeds from the sale will go to SunscreenIT and Stand Down. SunscreenIT supplies technology and computer training to the developing world; Stand Down supports armed forces veterans in the event of psychiatric injury.

     

    A Royal Range Rover – Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Range Rover sells in charity auction – 14th September 2016 – Stand Down and Sun Screen IT
    The interior of the vehicle
    A Royal Range Rover – Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Range Rover sells in charity auction – 14th September 2016 – Stand Down and Sun Screen IT
    Prince William and Prince George with the Range Rover
    A Royal Range Rover – Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Range Rover sells in charity auction – 14th September 2016 – Stand Down and Sun Screen IT
    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge drive away in the vehicle

     

     

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  • Nolan Browne – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    Nolan Browne – What’s on your mantelpiece?

    A 20-question interview with Nolan Browne, manager of London’s Taschen store and Gallery Nolan Browne

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

    Ambition.

     

    “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    Rubbish in, rubbish out.

     

    Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2016?

    Homelessness and Donald Trump.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    A couple of people.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    I wouldn’t.

     

    Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the banking crisis?

    Is there still a crisis?

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    ‘Take care’.

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    I detest chuggers and I’m running the Royal Park Half Marathon in October for Shelter, who help the homeless.

     

    The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

    Don’t text while driving or cycling. Remarkable that people do it.

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    Woody Allen and Magritte and a billionaire, just to find out exactly how you get that rich.

     

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    I doubt you could wander too far, so maybe a nice Harrods hamper in the prison yard.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    Anytime depending on the occasion.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    A martini.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    Arty ones – always full of characters and great chat.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    Both of my sisters are very positive.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Thomas Pink shirts.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    No answer.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    Any kind of Ferrari.

     

    Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I was born in Bangkok.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    A wedding invitation and some art related postcards.

     

    Nolan Browne is the manager of London’s TASCHEN Store and Gallery Nolan Browne. Travel and art are in his blood and he is the son of a diplomat and an art collector. Browne was born in Bangkok, grew up in New York, Somalia, Ukraine and Rwanda and went to school in the UK. While at university, he founded Unscene Art, a pop-up platform for emerging artists. It was dubbed “The student Turner Prize” by i-D magazine. Pitstops at White Cube and Phillips Auction House led him to TASCHEN – where he is fast turning the London store into one of the capital’s art destinations.

     

    Follow him on Instagram at @nolanbrowne.

     

     

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  • Raising Walton Street

    Raising Walton Street

    Six storey Chelsea house for sale for 268% more than it sold for in 2007

     

    Last sold for a total of £5,025,000 million ($6,668,000 or €5,936,000) in 2007, 37–39 Walton Street in Chelsea was formed by the merger of two townhouses that has created an 6,294 square foot home complete with the addition of a two level iceberg basement extension.

     

    Offered for sale now for £18,500,000 ($25,550,000 or €21,854,000) after a lengthy renovation, the six storey house has not only five bedroom suites but also a media room, a lift and a mechanised rising floor that converts a swimming pool into a large entertaining room.

     

    Situated directly next to The Enterprise bar and restaurant, the house is being marketed by Strutt & Parker.

     

    Raising Walton Street – 37–39 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 – Price rise from £5,025,000 to £18,500,000 – Strutt & Parker
    The swimming pool is a multi-functional space with a mechanised rising floor that turns the room into a large entertaining room
    Raising Walton Street – 37–39 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 – Price rise from £5,025,000 to £18,500,000 – Strutt & Parker
    The sauna
    Raising Walton Street – 37–39 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 – Price rise from £5,025,000 to £18,500,000 – Strutt & Parker
    The dining room
    Raising Walton Street – 37–39 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 – Price rise from £5,025,000 to £18,500,000 – Strutt & Parker
    The kitchen
    Raising Walton Street – 37–39 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 – Price rise from £5,025,000 to £18,500,000 – Strutt & Parker
    The master bedroom
    Raising Walton Street – 37–39 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 – Price rise from £5,025,000 to £18,500,000 – Strutt & Parker
    A lift connects four of the six floors
    Raising Walton Street – 37–39 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 – Price rise from £5,025,000 to £18,500,000 – Strutt & Parker
    The garden
    Raising Walton Street – 37–39 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 – Price rise from £5,025,000 to £18,500,000 – Strutt & Parker
    One of two terraces
    Raising Walton Street – 37–39 Walton Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 – Price rise from £5,025,000 to £18,500,000 – Strutt & Parker
    There is also off-street parking to the rear

     

     

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  • Berkoff on Sir Shifty

    Berkoff on Sir Shifty

    Actor, producer and writer Steven Berkoff shares his views about Sir Philip Green

     

    I recently watched a group of investigators sitting around a semi-circular table politely asking questions of Sir Philip Green. They elicited either vague responses, unsure responses, or contemptuous responses about him flogging BHS, a once venerable institution, to a somewhat dodgy character for a quid. If one of the pale faced interrogators even hinted that some of his business practises smelt a little like stinking fish or let’s say a little strange, Green’s surly reply was always: “That’s your opinion”.

     

    What was most fascinating to me, watching him live on television, was his whole stance and body language: He sat, heavy arms spread akimbo like he was a wrestler between bouts and waiting for the next round. The obviously university educated interlocutors were mostly decent professional men who faced a person whose way of life could not be more different. ‘Sir Shifty’ (as the Daily Mail mockingly now refer to him) has, after all, fought his way up from market dealer to wealthy mogul and he’s eaten people like these all his life.

     

    I even noticed one woman on the committee staring at Green from time to time and then turning away to whoever was asking him questions. She only dared to glimpse back at him for a few seconds. The feeling was that she was facing some kind of monster, a rabid devourer of nervous young English ladies. He then even rudely abused a member of the committee with sarcasm and a threating wit. It reminded me of the young toughs at the Lyceum Dance Hall in the fifties and their “Oo ya looking at!” jibes.

     

    Green actually said something similar to this at one time and directed it to one of the members, reproaching him for staring. It is a bit difficult, if you are facing someone under investigation, not to stare, I would have thought but then this is the ‘Green look’. His stare is nothing less than demonic; his dark beady eyes less meant for merely looking than for ‘eye balling’ with a shadowy hint of violence beneath. He didn’t just respond, he responded with an expression that seemed to dare you to challenge him. His voice carried notes of warning in it and yet was not grating – even if the timbre reminded me of Petticoat Lane.

     

    Berkoff on Sir Shifty – Steven Berkoff shares his view on Sir Philip Green
    Steven Berkoff views Sir Philip Green to be anything but a pussy cat

     

    Now, what made the whole exercise even more bizarrely fascinating was that he is a Jew. This might create a slightly awkward backstory since Jews were famously interrogated by the guardians of the church centuries past. A group of priests, many of them with a strong intellectual bent, frequently interrogated Rabbis on the meaning of their faith and hurled questions of religious complexity challenging them on all sorts of issues, the failure of which to answer satisfactorily could mean, a rather painful conclusion.

     

    These sessions were held in public and their main purpose was to ridicule and humiliate. So, watching Green’s examination many similar thoughts flittered through my mind, not least of all the appalling interrogation of Shylock in Shakespeare’s unpleasant satire, The Merchant of Venice.

     

    The ever-changing mosaic of thoughts shifted and I saw Shylock being interrogated, except here is no Portia tripping up the recalcitrant Jew. Here are at least a dozen pairs of eyes and I can guarantee that not one of them, could avoid, thinking and not with malice, that in front of them sat a Jew; a money bags dealer. Even if not one of them would ever admit to a shred of anti-Semitism, it would be impossible not to see a distant cousin of Shylock in front of them. I certainly did; I could not help it. How awful, but it is also true. It has been rubbed in our faces by Shakespeare no less than Dickens. And here sitting in front of them, including the lady who could hardly bare to look his way, was the archetypical Jew. You couldn’t make it up.

     

    Even if Shylock was originally in an Italian play, it found its way to our shores: The Italian villain was then changed to Jew. Centuries ago under those horrible interrogation and inquisitions, the Jew would have to answer civilly and been humble, humble yet intellectually sound.

     

    No need for humbleness now; Green was the direct opposite of his distant predecessor. If his eyes were basilisks he would have scorched up the entire circle but yet, he was steaming if not actually burning. It was his face and his expressions that carried the shades of the demonic. Up to now I have only read about the deeds of Green and the rather shabby money dealings and his frequent photo ops with one of his models, out on the town with his heavy paw around some nubile waist. Now, for the first time I heard him and I watched the ‘gentle’ eyes of the Christians attempting to unravel the complex spider webs of this bully and his empire.

     

    I hope the public who were watching were also able to resist the brain washing of centuries and not give in to an almost reflex action and think “look at him, another one of those lying, money grabbing yids”.

     

    I found that I couldn’t switch over to another channel. This was actually too dramatic. This was life and death not those easy, shallow chat shows of Norton, Ross and company with the forced laughter. No, this is the real thing. Now my mind shifted again from Shylock to Al Capone.

     

    Of course, if Green’s empire ever totally collapses and he is looking for another job he should think of shifting his base to LA and having a bash at a few villains. He would make a marvellous Al Capone as what makes gangsters so dangerous is that they are all deliberately thin skinned. They don’t want to be calmly tolerant or turn the other cheek. Green’s bull-like face was full on and he even chided one of the committee with a snide: “Put your glasses back on”. The confessors, however, won’t get much of a confession out of Green. And he won’t take any criticism: “That’s your opinion”, he uttered again and again.

     

    I can see Sir Shifty in the dock: A perfect Capone; think about it Phil.

     

    Steven Berkoff is an actor, producer and writer.

     

     

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  • Eric Meier– What’s on your mantelpiece?

    Eric Meier– What’s on your mantelpiece?

    A 20-question interview with jetsetter Eric Meier

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

    My intuition.

     

    “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    ‘Forgive but don’t forget’.

     

    Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2016?

    Donald Trump and Crocs.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    My sanity.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    World peace or never ageing.

     

    Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the banking crisis?

    Invest. Banks are a joke.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    ‘I need’ – Even though I use it every day and a lot.

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    Anything to do with children. Their innocence and honesty inspires me.

     

    The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

    My answer here is biased since I’m addicted to my phone. I think it’s actually glued to me.

     

    Eric Meier – What’s on your mantelpiece?
    Eric Meier

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    Oprah, Mariah Carey and Karl Lagerfeld.

     

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    The cheesecake at Hôtel Costes in Paris or an In and Out burger.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    In Europe, everything goes; in America, happy hour is at 4pm.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    A martini. Filthy.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    Those given by Riccardo Tisci – Beautiful people and beautiful clothes.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    Myself – I’m never a pessimist.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    My boyfriend.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    I have one of a broken heart as I’m a hopeless romantic.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    A Rolls-Royce Ghost extended version.

     

    Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I’m human.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    Candles. Great lighting is key.

     

    Eric Meier is based in Beverly Hills, California and describes himself as a well-travelled jetsetter. He adds: “Biographies are for dead people”.

     

    Join his 28,000 followers on Instagram at @meiereric.

     

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  • An unlucky mansion

    An unlucky mansion

    Unlucky mansion in Yorkshire with 13 bedrooms for sale for a lower sum than it was marketed for in 2007 – despite having been renovated internally in the time since

     

    Offered for sale for less than it was last marketed in a “dilapidated condition” in 2007, Whinburn Hall in the gritty West Yorkshire mill town of Keighley has now been largely restored internally but is still surrounded by neglected yet Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953 protected grounds.

     

    Described as a “fine country house… contrasting with the cramped rows of terraces in the streets behind them” according to Wikipeda, this Grade II listed Victorian Arts and Crafts mansion was built in 1897 for Prince Smith III (1869 – 1940), an exotically named gentleman who later renamed himself Prince Prince-Smith before becoming Sir Prince Prince-Smith on the death of his father in 1922.

     

    Constructed from wealth generated by the Prince-Smith family’s textile machinery manufacturing business, Prince Smith & Son, the house was redesigned and extended in 1912 – 1913 and became a training centre for the National Institute of Houseworkers in 1940. Sold again in 1950 to the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, the “modern manor house” was run as a residential school and special referral unit until 2008 and then, after a period of dilapidation and the rejection of plans to turn Whinburn Hall into flats, was bought by a 35-year old businessman named James Sheldon in 2008.

     

    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    An unlucky mansion – James Sheldon purchased Whinburn Hall at the age of 35 and died there aged just 42

     

    Sheldon, who worked as a lifeboat coxswain in Southport for 18 years, restored Whinburn Hall to use as a family home and also based his business Nav-comm, a specialist in the design of LED lighting systems for emergency vehicles, there.

     

    In the years that followed, Mr Sheldon developed what he claimed to be a new form of “anti-terror security equipment” to detect explosives and drugs from 50 metres and took a stand at a trade show in London in 2013 to showcase this. It was later described as being like “an experiment a first year university student would have tried, but which failed” and in due course West Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit placed Sheldon and his father, Anthony, under investigation.

     

    Both were arrested on allegations of fraud and on 23rd June 2015, after two police officers visited Whinburn Hall to inform the duo that they were to be rebailed for three months, 42-year old James Sheldon tragically jumped to his death from the fourth floor tower of the hall. It later transpired he had been served with an eviction order due his non-payment of the mortgage on the house and faced debts of some £1.25 million ($1.62 million or €1.45 million).

     

    The main property, which is now for sale through agents Dacre Son & Hartley for just £1.45 million ($1.87 million or €1.68 million), currently – rather unluckily, some might also argue – features 13 bedrooms and 7 reception rooms. It comes with a detached bungalow and a dilapidated gatehouse and stands in 7 acres of protected gardens that includes a folly designed by the renowned Lancastrian garden designer and landscape architect Thomas Mawson. Hopefully the next owner, aside from tackling this “overgrown jungle”, will also bring with them better luck.

     

    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    This ‘baronial hall’ is used as a dining room and is dominated a truly tasteless purple ceiling
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    The purple theme continues in this gallery
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    And there’s more of it in this corridor
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    A drawing room complete with ‘classy’ DFS style furniture and a huge television set could be somewhat improved
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    A striking fireplace in another room is surrounded by some pretty hideously coloured leather sofas
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    A staircase with a resemblance to something from a fun fair
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    Another staircase is a little more traditional
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    One of thirteen bedrooms
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    The house is surrounded by 7 acres of overgrown grounds
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    A somewhat amateur attempt at creating a helipad is located close to the house
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    The entrance gates
    An unlucky mansion – Whinburn Hall, Hollins Lane, Utley, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6LU – On the market for £1.45 million in 2016; marketed in 2007 for £1.5 million (or the equivalent of £1.88 million today)
    The roof of the adjoining gatehouse is literally caving in

     

     

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  • The Duke of Westminster

    The Duke of Westminster

    A tribute to Gerald Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Westminster (1951 – 2016)

     

    Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, the 6th Duke of Westminster was a man of duty dedicated to his country, its military and to the countryside he so loved.

     

    Described in a poignant tribute on the Grosvenor Estate’s website as “distinctly down-to-earth” and “rarely seen without a Diet Coke and a cigarette (later electric)”, the Duke – one of the country’s finest shots – was not one to mince his words and not one to shirk from a row. He took Westminster Council to court when they proposed selling off a housing estate in Pimlico intended by his ancestors specifically for the use of the working classes and won and then subsequently quit the Conservative Party in 1993 after a row with John Major over his leasehold reform legislation. At the time, he stated: “I had to leave because of my own conscience. I took a moral stand”.

     

    Not without his flaws – including a little bit of a scandal in 2008 involving a New York escort service – and someone prone to sleepless nights and depression, the Duke may have been a billionaire but he also had the common touch. Though he made the founding gift of £50 million to the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre in 2011 and supported farmers hit by the 2001 foot and mouth crisis with a £500,000 donation, he was just as likely to be found offering words of encouragement and sharing laughter in the communities he so especially treasured in Cheshire and at Abbeystead in Lancashire.

     

    In 1995, appearing on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs, the Duke remarked:

     

    “In the context of eternity, if I am lucky I might live 70 years, but this estate has been with us for 3, 4, 5, 600 years. I am only a mere flicker in the process of time. It is what I do with it, rather than what I am worth, that I believe is more important”.

     

    Modest to his core and a man with a loathing for such tags as “environmentalist” and “philanthropist”, the Duke left the Grosvenor Estate in a far better state than he found it in 1979. He may have been born with a silver spoon, but he understood that with rights came responsibilities.

     

     

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